Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Saturday 17 February 1934, page 23


AUTUMN

FASHIONS

. are simple and elegant

Silhouette Goes Back to Nature

THE new clothes for autumn differ

a good deal from

those we wore

last year. They are simpler, more elegant, and cer-tainly more

attractive.

Gone com-

pletely is the "coat - hanger" look of shoulders extended up-wards or outwards in extravagant gestures. The silhouette has gone "back to nature," and clothes are moulded showing the natural outline of the body.

NECKLINES, sleeves, arm-

holes, and the bodice of the frock—around these four points, this season, centres the interest of fashion.

Adopted by almost all French de-signers, the new silhouette (with the bust accentuated, the waist small, the skirts plain, the return of the feminine figure) forms a good foundation for many amusing, varied and new details.

First of all the skirt, which is made and then forgotten. It is a little longer than before, just wide enough to permit walking with comfort, and, in the even-ing, it trails the floor. For day time, fullness is given by pleats that are set in the back, or else by very slight flares. When the skirt reaches the waist, the interest begins.

The princess dress, tight all the way down, and very difficult to wear, illus-trates the new tendency. This style depends upon its belt to cut the line

and soften the contour.

Belts Are Important

BELTS of all kinds are numerous.

Made of metal links, pieces of wood, steel, they are narrow and stiff. Others, on the contrary, in leather and materials, are high and supple. Orna-ments in every form replace the buckle.

Fabric, draped and tied, hanging in long ends, girdles many of the new frocks. The belt, joining the skirt and the bodice, has never united two parts so different. The skirt, simple and flat, the bodice complicated, trimmed, volum-

inous.

Above-the-Waist Detail

THE sleeve, which is simpler again, bal-

ances the intricate bodice. Shoulders are almost natural. Where width is desired, it is placed lower down than last year, just below the armhole.

Much fullness is worked in to the frock above the waist, tucks, pleats, drapes and swathes; the bust is accen-tuated in every costume. Necklines are as high as they can possibly go in front, scarves, jabots, bows, collars, and later, furs, all swathe the neck in front and have a downward movement at the

back.

For evening the decollete is very low at the back, and high in front.

There is another neckline fashionable for evening, which is a great relief to those who do not fancy themselves with throttled throats. This is the "off-the-shoulder" line. The dress is made right off the shoulders and held on by two narrow shoulder straps made of jewels, fur, or the dress fabric.

All the fullness in evening skirts starts at the knees. Here godets, pleats, flares and ruffles are inserted to give as much width as possible.

1. The new silhouette for evening wear. This

dress of black slipper satin has long sleeves

and a low back.

2. Jabot made of five rows of fine white sheer

linen.

3. A blue fox fur scarf is twisted into a spiral. 4. The autumn neckline for daytime frocks.

5. Bib of canary yellow muslin trims the neck

of a grey crepe dress.

6. The valet de chambre vest is smart. Bright

green velveteen and ribbed black jersey are

combined.

7. Two combs and a tiara of brilliants for the

evening coiffure.

8. Gold lame blouse with long sleeves. Worn

with a black wool or velvet skirt and threequarter coat.

9. The latest up-in-the-front and down-at

the-back movement for necklines.

10. Silver and blue brocaded lame evening

blouse worn with a blue crepe skirt.

11. Coarse black net makes a dinner hat. The

cascade of ostrich feathers is in black.

12. Scarf in wine-red and pale grey crepe-de-

chine, on a grey sheer wool frock.

13. With a black crepe frock is worn a waistcoat

of dark red velveteen.

14. The new fitted silhouette for evening. Tight

to the knees, and then much fullness.

15. Dark brown fur borders the off-the-shoulder

decolletage of this white velvet evening dress.

Evening Wraps

PRACTICALLY every evening dress

has some sort of cape, jacket, shawl or scarf. There are capes of every species made of velvet, quilted taffeta and stiff satins. The long coat down to the hem of the frock will be worn again this season. It is made of velvet, lame, stiff ottoman silk or heavy satin.

Tailored suits will be popular again this autumn. The coats will be hip length and pinched in at the waist, and will fasten centre front. Most of them do up high to the neck.

Blouses will create great interest. Blouses of brightly-patterned taffetas, tie-silk, striped silks, gaily flowered chintz, bright contrasting crepe-de-chines, are worn under practical day-time suits. With formal suits of black wool or velveteen, for late afternoon or evenings, the blouse will be of lame or some fabric embroidered with golden threads, rich satin or fine white lace.

Most of the new blouses tie over the skirt. They look tidier this way, and are more flattering to the figure.

For sports wear and for the colder weather, there are the new woollen blouses. These are plainly tailored and finish at the neck with a scarf or plain

collar. They come in the brightest and

most daring colors.

Waistcoats Are New

LITTLE waistcoats made exactly the

shape of a man's, except that they generally have buttons up to the neck, (they are worn with the top three but-tons undone) are the rage in Paris. They are made in linen or crepe, in pale or bright colors, to be worn over dark frocks—no coat is worn—in gold lame for dressy occasions over black, in bright woollen fabrics and fur over win-ter frocks. They are, of course, sleeve-less. They come just to the waist at the back, and just below in front. Some of them even have a little pocket at

each side.

The new materials for autumn even-ing wear are sumptuous; shimmering velvets, stiff slipper-satin (which al-most stands up by itself), glittering gold and silver brocades and lames, georgettes, satins, and crepes with gold and silver threads woven through them, shiny blistered satins, taffetas and heavy crepes.

New Fabrics

FOR day wear there are the new plaid

and striped velveteens; corduroy for tailored suits; ottoman silk with dif-ferent sized ribs; dull velvet; dull crepes in plain tightly woven romaines or chiselled effects; some slightly crinkled crepes. Schiaparelli's tree-bark material

is used for both day and evening. So deeply crinkled that it looks exactly like the bark of a tree, it comes, gener-ally, in a dark woody brown.

The new woollens have both smooth and rough surfaces. Rodier creates a woollen frosted with long angora rabbit hairs, tweeds come in bold patterns, and are tightly woven. Many materials have long shaggy surfaces, but every-thing will be surprisingly soft to the

touch.

New jerseys have arrived. They re-semble velvet, duvetyn, and various woollen weaves. Some are striped and checked. Metal threads are woven into many of the new woollens. Broadcloths, with dull or satin finish, lead the smooth-surface brigade.

Black will be worn as much as any- . thing, as it always is, whatever fashion decrees. A great many of the new frocks appear to be black at first glance; upon closer insnection they appear to

be an off-black shade—a blackish-green, prune, or blackberry. At night Paris is flooded with silvery grey satins, silver lame and gold, a pinkish mauve shade combined with fuchsia, purple-brown, turquoise, plum, raspberry, and pansy-blue, and still a great deal of white.

For Sport

FOR sports, grey has become the lead-

ing color; two tones are generally used, a pale grey and a deeper eel-grey shade. Jumpers and scarves in bright colors are worn with these grey cos-tumes, canary-yellow, deep red, pale and royal blue, bright greens and brown. Brown and grey is a new and popular combination.

Dark red, olive-green, and black are also used for sports clothes.

For day, if you choose brown or green, choose them very dark. Dull pruneblue is a new shade. Blue-green, pale and royal blue combined, grey and bur-gundy, greys, sage greens, raspberry, are the colors you will wear this season. Black is combined with red, tomato, gold, pale blue or pink. Brown is seen with dusty-pink, peach, greyish-blue, bright apple-green, grass green, grey and beige. * * *

Ash grey is the smartest winter sports color. Women wear details in the gaudiest shades with it.